All the Pretty Little Horses
by A Raven on a Writing Desk
Summary: From mountains high to oceans deep, Soul and Maka shall continue their stories. Here, we shall collect some of the many snapshots of their lives. Now, dear reader, take my hand as we travel to these distant lands. I own Soul Eater about as much as I own Fort Knox. And if I owned Fort Knox, I wouldn't be sitting here.
1. Chapter 1

The ownerowner of the House of Fun watched from his booth hopefully. Dark fabrics rustled as he paced the creaky wooden stage, and he leaned against a wrought iron banister with a head in the land of nod. A slow swing song played from another ride through a low quality stereo of some sort. He didn't know where from, and didn't terribly mind. He enjoyed it all the same. A wind pushed the silken top hat into his eyes, and he chuckled to himself as he adjusted it with gloves of snow lace. The gold cufflinks he wore sparkled in the cackling moon.

Long flowing grass drifted in the brisk air, catching on a small door to the strength testing arena and clapping it against the frame with a loud smacking noise. The man who ran it ignored it as he read a novel languidly in a corner. Green eyes flicked up from the stool he sat upon to the owner of the carousal, who's long flowing hair rolled in the wind like a long, inky satin ribbon. A light blush dusted his cheeks and he turned back to the book slyly.

Her dark eyes looked up. Milky features accentuated black eyes of everlasting warmth and kindness. The daffodil yellow dress flowed around her hourglass body, caressing each and every individual fold before moving on. The carousel's bright colourful lights were out to allow the dark shadows of the night to slink around the vividly painted horses and climb up the beautifully carved poles of wood before drifting on into nothingness. The light on top was also out, despite t usually shining. The stripes that would flow from it in an eye-catching red were now ghosts of what they could be.

Over at the pendulum ride entitled 'The Viking's Ship', a lone figure stood shrouded in dark cloths. He sneered at the others with open hostility. Within amber orbs swam years of wisdom far beyond his age, though lacked a human compassion found elsewhere. High cheekbones were silhouetted by the pale lights of the night sky. The bone-white stripes in his ebony hair gleamed as he tilted his head to look out to the bumper car station.

There, a busty woman giggled as old swing time music played on an outdated radio. She quirked the wrench around a loose bolt gleefully and nodded. "All done!" she yelled happily and clapped her hands before placing it back in the giraffe-themed bumper cart. She walked over to one that looked oddly like a zebra. She leaned down carelessly, allowing her short blue skirt to ride up enough to make an outsider blush. The young lady tapped the cart with an oil-stained hand, "You're next!"

Over at the tunnel of love, a woman in her late twenties examined the heavens above her, allowing a smoky stub of a cigarette to hang on a ruby red bottom lip. She leaned against the side of the attraction lazily and rubbed an arm. She could hear the swing music slowly grow in volume as her sister cranked the volume to start dancing. As she stomped it out beneath the toe of one of her scarlet high-heels, she smiled a twisted smile. At least this place was better than Brooklyn.

At the haunted house, a willowy person stood under a hanging light. They brushed lilac hair out of chocolate eyes, before shivering violently. The rubbed the thin sleeves of the robe they had to wear viciously. They examined the creaky wooden door behind them, and they reminded themselves for the final time to go see the spooky caretaker to get it fixed. Well, when they got the nerve up. They were still creeped out by the scary lights and strange sounds of the ride. Never mind some of the strange things that would pop up and scare the living daylights out of them! As the individual turned away slowly, they let a hand wrap around the wooden pole holding up the badly tiled roof, they shivered. At least they didn't have to sleep in the attraction like the fun house owner. They didn't like him. He was too big and scary with all his white hair and red eyes and sharp teeth. The purple haired person walked inside, only to be spooked by a cardboard ghost. To be fair, it was glow in the dark.

The ferris wheel conductor growled as she pulled her short plaid skirt down to cover more of her legs, wrapped in dark fishnet stockings. Pigtails flew like golden banners in the wind as she bit her lip. The petit woman whirled around and stormed into the operator room beside the ride. She debated firing up the whole thing to get the stupid machine doctor or whatever to come over and fix it, but then it would probably break off and smash through the fun house (and really, she didn't want another screaming match with the guy) and through the viking swing (another symmetry rant, another day) and finally collapse on the carousal. That one she would have a problem with losing. She rather liked Tsubaki, thank you very much, and considered the woman her best friend.

But then, destroying that fun house really would make everyone happy. The owner could piss you off in more ways than you could imagine, and what he got away with… Maka clenched her teeth just thinking about it.

Just as she was thinking about it, she heard the mad cackling that could only mean the arrival of her least wanted person. And as shiny bowler shoes stalked along a muddy trail, and crisp slacks cut through long grass like destroyer ships in an ice valley, Maka sighed, allowing the thick trench coat she wore to weigh her down.

An unwanted smirk arose on the face of her biggest pain in the ass, "Why hello there dear Maka, how nice to see you on such a night!" Soul Evans twirled a cane as he slowed to a stop in front of her. It irked her how he could easily look her in the eye, even when she stood on the plank stand. It didn't help that she had never met someone shorter than her.

Maka looked into the cheery red tomatoes that made up his eyes, "What is it, Eater?" she snapped tiredly. It was getting late for these games.

Soul leaned on the bannister, forcing her to step away quickly. The small slippers she wore slid across the smoothly polished surface easily. As Maka watched him climb the single step to the way-too-small platform, she growled. The ten-foot by ten-foot square seemed more like a boxing ring than anything at the moment.

As Soul allowed his cane to rest against the rusting rails before grinning. He looked up at the ferris wheel and grinned an even wider grin. He tapped long fingers against the bar, and chuckled as he turned to face Maka, "This hunk of scrap needs fixing, and bad. How's it been up and running all this time?" He laughed when's Maka's cheeks puffed up to sizes blowfish could only dream of.

"You should see your stupid fun house! That thing's on its last legs!" Maka huffed, leaning on the banister. Unfortunately, she allowed too much weight and was soon lying down in the grass, force-stargazing.

A loud guffaw alerted her attention, "Jeez, how many burgers do you eat? Hell, I bet you could out-weigh one of Pattie's bumper cars, eat Black Star under the table! Such a tiny thing like you probably weighs more than Topsy!"

Maka snarled as she propped herself up, "Do refrain from using that word."

Soul raised a questioning eyebrow, "What, weigh? At this rate sister," Soul ignored her sputtering, "That's all your gonna hear from here on in."

Maka clambered onto the platform and slapped him in the face, "No, Topsy!" Soul looked down at the pipsqueak in front of him.

"Oh, and so you get slapping rights now?" Soul rubbed his cheek forlornly as he said this.

"No!" Maka wrapped her hands in her pigtails and tugged furiously.

Soul looked at her as she growled furiously, "Oh wait, Topsy? The stupid elephant ghost or something?"

Maka nodded vigorously before halting, "Did you say stupid? Are you crazy?!" She reached out to shake him when Soul grabbed her hands.

"Ah, no. No shaking rights permitted. And no slapping rights. That was just downright sneaky how you got that one past me," Soul babbled as Maka rolled her eyes. The strongman reading a book looked up to watch them with interest.

"Just shut up about Topsy before the whole place burns down like Cony island!" Maka tried to kick Soul's shins before he grabbed her foot.

Soul clucked as he shook his head, "Try to remember this, never kick a tall man's shins. Or anyone's shins in general."

Maka wrenched her foot away and glared icy daggers at him. "Why are you so nonchalant about everything?"

Soul simply started twiddling with his cane, "Because I'm awesome. Maybe it's those dashing good looks that everyone talks about? Possibly my Topsy-isim."

"Shut up about Topsy! You're going to curse every carnival on the face of North America if you keep this up!"

"Really?" Soul leaned over with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "How about I go for the whole world?" Maka's indignant screech only made Black Star cry out in pain, "Maka your voice sounds like a dying goat when you scream!"

Maka rolled her eyes to the strongman, "Nobody cares Black Star," she called out before turning to Soul. He still had that stupid smirk on his face.

As soon as he opened his mouth, Maka felt like cracking his head in, "Aw, is someone a widdle bit upset?"

Green eyes flared, "Shut up!"

"Is that your favourite phrase or something?"

"Only when dealing with people like you."

"Oh goodie! Special reserves!"

Maka whirled around with a kick. Soul nimbly stepped out of the way, shit-eating grin spreading like butter across dimpled cheeks. He mocked her as she briefly lost her balance as her landing foot stepped on the head of a poorly hammered nail.

"Son of a!" Maka snarled as she held the injured foot. She hooped about madly as Soul nearly crippled over in tears. She gave his foot a good stomp just for it.

Unfortunately, it seemed he didn't feel it as he righted himself. A wistful look came into his eye as he looked at her. She felt a tad creeped out by his strange look."I just came here to invite you to the fun house for dinner or so, and where do I get? Arguing over Topsy," another hiss, "and getting hit. I just wanted to try and be a friend after you shut me out so long." Soul's eyes softened at this. He shook his head remorsefully before stepping down the platform.

Maka looked at the retreating man with blank eyes. He wanted to be her… friend? That pain in the ass? The guy who called her fat? The guy who on the first day she came ate her lunch above her as he read a book. Never before had she felt so short next to /

But as she saw the swinging cane he held gleam, and the moonlight catch the edge of his hat's auburn ribbon, she felt a small smile pull the edge of her lips.

He was such a socially awkward, freaky, sadistic weirdo. And yet, in some twisted kind of good way. If eating your own lunch in front of you could possibly count. Oh god, what if she was just as freaky as him? Well, at least she wasn't a stupid loser.

Maka sniffed at the thought, before remembering how he taught her as much (supposedly) as he could about the carnival. She remembered Kilik's amazing popcorn, and taking a tour on one of the many haphazard roller coasters. Maybe being introduced to some of the many carnival workers, or simply having a fun time all in all. Maybe he wasn't an asshole all the time.

Before Maka could realize it herself, she felt her feet pounding on muddy ground. She felt herself lift up her skirt to run faster and water seep into her slippers. Grinning as the wind tugged at her hair and laugh when she stumbled on a rock. Her mirth-soaked eyes soaked in the lights of the fun house. Grass whipped around her but only the dew that stuck to her legs made her smile widen. She felt like a child putting together a puzzle as she ran up the steps to Soul's home (people found it a bit unnerving to stay in the funhouse for ten minutes, never mind hours).

Black Star watched the scene from his stool. He put the book down in defeat as he laid a thick meaty fist under a broad chin. Eyes trailed Maka's path as she followed a disheartened Soul to the funhouse. A lazy grin slithered up his chin. He looked over to Tsubaki, who also watched the scene in interest. He made a small kissing gesture as he pointed towards the two, and Tsubaki giggled /

Black Star's eyes widened as Soul opened his door and ushered the small woman into the funhouse.


	2. Mole

Moist, black earth squished under curled toes. The few clumps offers that sprouted from the fertile earth swayed gently in the air, a soft blowing the caressed the young girl's face before carrying on to distant lands.

She stood tall as she glared daggers at the fertile soil. The warbling calls of songbirds were lost to the barrage of thoughts that thundered within the ashen blond's head. She chewed her lip in concentration before sluggishly dropping to her knees. She bent over and put her hands on the ground, furrowing er eyebrows as she searched carefully.

She sucked in a deep lungful of air, even the smallest whisper of air to pass her lips could muffle the sounds that desperately competed against the others. She cupped one ear so as to block the once calming sounds of nature.

As her eyes flitted around in deep thought, a lone boot slammed by her head, "Just what are you doing, Maka?"

Shocked emerald eyes locked to a placid creamy green. The tall frame cast a long shadow across as the ground shifted to lean his weight on the walking stick he held. Gnarled wood matched the twisted stitches crossing the elder man's face.

Stein's stringy grey-speckled hair was brushed to one side, giving his disheveled appearance a bit of flair.

His pale body was accentuated by the long draping bleached skins he wore. Almost perfectly white, they seemed to give off an otherworldly feel of isolation. It seemed as though that instead of speaking to a regular human, you were instead speaking to a spectre.

Maka brushed off her clothes as she stood up from her compromising position. She tried not to notice the smell of decomposing fish that seemed to radiate from him, failing miserably. "I thought something was wrong, you know, mole people or something." Stein chuckled.

"Your father fills your head with lies, my dear. Mole people have as much existence as a Mongolian deathworm," Stein's hollow chuckle ceased. "And I thought you were the sensible one."

Maka felt her cheeks grow red, "I am! But I could have sworn I heard a scraping sound. And it came form the ground, just like what Papa says!"

Stein shook his head slowly, "You silly girl. Come on now, it's time for dinner." Maka huffed but followed behind her elder dutifully. Though before it could fully escape her sights, she glanced behind her to the mysterious scraping spot. She squinted, thinking, just for a second, that she saw the ground shift.

An ashen hand cupped her pudgy cheek, "Come on, Maka. Your papa is getting worried about you," he added in a mutter, "and he's taking it out on us."

Little did Maka know, that she was right, there was a stirring breath the earth.

"Hurry up, Maka!" a blue haired boy tapped a toe against the ground irritably. He ducked a wooden bucket that barely skimmed the long, gelled up hair he wore so proudly. He grunted as he skimmed a hand across the top, muttering something about 'insignificant broads'. The girl rolled her eyes, making certain to spill some water on his clothes as she passed by. The young man screeched and flew into an extravagant cursing fest. Maka watched the display with amusement. However, a cry called her focus out of the show.

Ivory hair bounded to her, three white stripes flowing all over. "Your father needs you!" Kidd came screeching to a stop in her face. He stumbled back with a murmured apology as he fixed his hair. Maka's lips pulled to one side.

"What does he need now?" she practically growled.

Kidd, noting the irritation, tried his best to word his words carefully, "He says that as a young lady, you shouldn't be out after dark."

"That insufferable prick!" Maka stormed, Kidd sighed, "He has no idea what he's talking about! I've been out late plenty of times and that drunkard hasn't noticed once. Hell, he could mistake a dog for a cow when he goes out! You know what I mean, don't you?"

Kidd nodded, a jerking manner that seems to be more disgruntled than agreeing, "I notice Black Star's recovering, so I suppose we should make our ways to our lodgings. Anyways, what is there for us to do after our sun has set? I see no reason to go out whatsoever."

Maka shook her head as the turned to walk down the paths, "But there is so much! We could explore the forests, go to one of the elder conferences, visit the streams and meadows, socialize in general."

Kidd shook his head, "You're forgetting something." A blush rose on his companion's face.

"Well, that's just my thing when my dad's out. Talking to a lump of earth isn't exactly fun for everyone."

A small smile rose up on the chieftain's brother's face. "I suppose it might be enjoyable. Maybe tonight, even? Black Star might want to come around as well." Maka shook the idea out of her head.

"Nah, that wouldn't really go down that well. That idiot would wake up half the village before we get anything done. Before we get on the trail his loud mouth would get everyone roaring out of bed and chasing all the way to the mouth of the Moles Caves. Then I bet they would just toss us in!"

Kidd laughed, "I suppose so. But we did invent muzzles for a reason, did we not?" The sheepish grin that emerged widened. Maka snickered alongside him.

"Well, I guess you guys could come, but I don't think you'd have that much fun!" Maka returned the grin.

"Well, it's settled then! Tonight, under the bows of the willow tree at the start of the Acorn path! That should take us on the quickest route to the Rumbling Grounds," Kid grinned before settling into normal, non conspiring talk.

"Are you ready to go to the Leaving next month?"

Maka's face fell. "I hate going to those. They all say it's going to be all right, but I can't help but get a bad feeling about. I mean, I could probably survive without tribe, but I don't want to. I mean, I would lose all of you guys!" Maka forced a smile so fake even Black Star could see through it.

"It's just… I don't want to die. I don't want to walk the dreaming paths and I really don't want to be swimming through the seas of thought. What are the molemen even like? How will they kill me? Why did my Papa have to sacrifice me? I've just got so many questions now…"

Kidd nodded patiently, "It will be all right. I'll be by your side until the force me away. I can promise you Black Star and I will fight off guards until even my father must pull us away."

Maka smiled sadly, not feeling fully comforted by her friend's words, "It must be pretty weird knowing your friend is going to die in a month so a group of savages won't come and kill everyone."

Kidd smiled softly, though when he opened his mouth to speak, a muscled arm wrapped itself around his neck in a headlock before having his head crushed by his friend's knuckled fist. Black Star whooped as Kidd scowled and demanded he unhand him, you useless barbarian.

It was not the last time she had had to fight back tears in her friend's presence.

Later that night, as Maka lay in bed, she looked out her window for the sixth time that minute. The cold night air flowed through the hollow before swirling around her room. She should bring her thick overcoat this night. Steely determination flowing through her veins, she slipped her feet into her slippers. She looked to the setting sun before shuffling over to her bedroom door to gather the long fur coat. The bone buttons slipped through the string loops silently as she made certain her pyjamas were decent. She tugged the miniskirt a bit, cursing at its miniature size. At least the long top she wore kept the rest of her body warm (though she rather valued her legs).

Her resolve crumbled as she heard some low, shuffling steps mixed in with high pitched giggling. She growled to herself and waited. She heard her father's tone of voice dip to a sickening depth, and the woman draw out each word. She awaited their disappearance to her bedroom, she gagged a bit before carrying on out the door.

Not even the bite of the air could tear away the boiling rage that grew within her heart. Thanks, _Papa._

She sat at the site of the rustling earth. At first, when she was young, she had tried to burrow under the earth to see what was making all the ruckus, though even after an afternoon of digging she had not been able to find the source. Mind you, she had only made it about three feet down. She considered it an accomplishment anyways.

She looked ver one shoulder to see Black Star, dozing away as usual beside Kid, who had also conked out awhile back. Now she sat alone, with no one to talk to beside the dirt pile. Well, that was a good friend as well. She supposed, I mean, it did help her sort out her thoughts. But other than that it maybe wasn't as great as she presumed. Oh well, it helped.

Speaking of the earth, she loomed over it with wide eyes. She poked a lump of dirt, before sighing. "What am I going to do?"

The earth sat still.

"I mean, I'm basically going to die. And if I leave, my whole tribe will die. And I cant let that happen," Maka shoved her finger's in her mouth as she started to rock a bit, "But I'm so scared! I don't know what I'm going to do now. I hear the Molemen tear your digits off, one by one, before limbs, and finally your head! Then they stew it up and feed it to their king!"

Maka flopped out, limbs akimbo, "I don't want to be stew!" She sighed before closing her, eyes, willing to drift off asleep and leave the dark thoughts behind.

A low rumbling echoed far under ground. She sighed, given up in terms of finding out the source long ago. Unlike usual however, it slowly grew in volume. It grew, and grew, until her eyes popped wide open. She scrambled over to Kid and Black Star to shake them awake.

"Guys, get up!" She yelled over the crescendo of earth. Kid slowly opened and eye, before jumping up with a start. He looked around with panicked eyes before down to Maka, who was desperately shaking Black Star awake. "Get up you great lummock!"

Yet the muscle machine stayed in dreamland. "Come. ON!" She screamed as Kidd slapped the boy in the face.

The combined assault dragged the boy from the land of nod, before he too became aware of the situation.

He leapt to his feet, but not before two beams of yellow light poured from a vast cavern in the ground. Black Star was out of the area before he could see the giant claws stretch from beneath the surface of the earth.

"Maka, run!" Kid yelled over his shoulder as he sprinted from the premises. He stopped when he saw Maka sliding into a fighting position. He watched in horror as the spectre, rising a good foot or two above her raised one great hand above her, to witch she nimbly dodged.

He screamed, useless, before turning and running.

Maka looked back over her shoulder rot see her friend, since the beginning of lessons with Stein, running away for the monster. She snapped her head back to the hell-creature sash ducked another swipe of the great claws that sprouted from his wrists like points on a bayonet. Unfortuatey, she lost her footing and tumbled to the ground. She was sprawled out on her back. She looked up weakly as she tried to get up, when she stopped to observe the creature.

The creature looked at the claws in a bewildered fashion. It shrugged before flicking back its wrist, causing the claws to slink back into its… gloves?

Maka grumbled as she propped herself up onto her elbows. A greasy hand was thrusted into her face, accompanied by a distant grumbling.

The creature shook its head, causing the lights to cast wide arcs across the ground. Maka squinted, making out the faint outlines of a thick greasy onesie. No, these were designed to resist water and cold. They had special paddings on places like knees. The boots, most likely male, were massive with steel toes on the tips that gleamed in the artificial light.

As Maka observed the outstretched hand, it quickly lost patience and pull her to her feet by the front of her shirt. She stumbled towards the creature before it grabbed her. She tried to wiggle away but the grips of the gloves kept tight hold on her.

Slowly, the creature took long heavy steps back to the hole, whereupon it hoisted her in both arms, flicked off its light, and jumped down.

Maka screamed, all the way down before being let go. She screamed even louder before her back hit something soft. She gasped for air, stomach in her chest and her heart pounding in her ears.

She felt her arm get tugged by something to a standing position before being dragged along down, for what she could tell, was a long dark earth tunnel. The dampness seeped into the fur cloak she wore, chilling her more than the world above.

She stumbled along for a good minute or so, completely blind and being forced to duck her head or move from side to side to avoid various hazards.

She stayed silent as she saw something at the end of the corridor. She felt a smile split her face in half when she realized that it meant there was light.

She pulled ahead eagerly before the creature tapped her nose. She felt the grease residue, wrinkling her face to the point that it probably looked like an old apricot.

She followed once again in a royal sulk, certain to try and kick the shins of whoever was tugging her along. She heard muffled curses as she stumbled about, making her wide grin turn into a certain smugness.

As they entered the bath of white, artificial lights, she blinked a few times to adjust. Once adjusted, she was stunned. Absolutely and completely stunned.

There, sprawling before her and lit like a mini sun existed down here for it alone, was a massive, sprawling city. Bustling noise that now swirled in the echoing hollow slammed against her ears where they had been muffled in the tunnels.

She felt a tap on her shoulder, and a lone (oil-covered) finger close her open mouth. She turned to see the beast, taking in its full appearance.

The lights atop its head were now simply clear bulbs, and the mask it wore bore an eerie resemblance to a sort of fly, huge mesh covered eyes and a long tube where the mouth should be. The beast loomed above her, tall as a mountain compared to a stone (she was never the tallest, though she blamed that on her father's tiny genes).

The beast reached behind its head, and with a click, slowly peeled off the mask. It pulled it behind its head, to reveal a black and white mess.

It looked up, and Maka was shocked to see crimson eyes stare down at her. A brown glove wiped across pale skin, before splitting into a wide jagged toothed smile.

Maka raised an eyebrow, taking note of the strange appearance of the beast, no, foresten, no, oh she didn't know! It just looked like a man from her tribe!

'He' gestured out to the settlement with a lone hand, a low rumble emitting from his mouth, "Welcome to Molen, I'm Soul, your motherfucking hero."

Maka blinked once, twice, as she tried to understand what exactly she had been thrown into. On one hand was Soul, the underdweller (as molemen was a derogatory comment), who was talking to a strange woman.

Her golden eyes flickered over to her once in a while to let a small shiver crawl up her spine. She twirled a matching lock of gold hair in her fingers as she laughed, "Soul, my dear, you are very eager to please. So much, that you have captured the sacrifice not but a month early!"

It was Soul's turn to blink, "Early?" He drug a hand through grubby locks of what might have been white hair. At this point Maka had stopped trying to figure out what was him and what was dirt. Just like the rumbling grounds.

"Are you saying, that I was just drug down a hole in the ground, dragged through a tunnel of darkness and pulled into the weirdest place ever, _early?_" Maka felt her fingers dig into the plush velvet of the armchair. Soul slouched in his, and if she looked out of the corner of her eye, she swore she saw him picking his nose.

However the woman, Mrs. Gorgon, or so the shining plaque on the oaken door read, nodded firmly. "I do apologize for this. I'm afraid this was never meant to happen."

"I bloody well hope not!" Maka huffed before feeling another shiver. She twiddled with her thumbs, hoping not to make eye contact.

Mrs. Gorgon shuffled a few pieces of paper on her desk, "I suppose you must be surprised by this, 'sorcery' that we have harnessed." Maka raised an eyebrow. "What I mean is, all the fake lights we use. The different building designs. Everything about us, the underdwellers is different. Even how we look."

Maka nodded, noting how pale the people here looked. Some also seemed to be growing grey hairs. She had never seen such a remarkable thing except on Stein.

Mrs. Gorgon opened some long pieces of fabric on the wall aside, to reveal a flat transparent surface. Maka noted she could look right through the paneling, out into the distant world. "My dear, this is why people are told to come down. For it is, as your people say, is against all that is right. In fact because we believed we could progress far beyond what anyone could imagine, we left to a world we could be fully accepted in. And that was beneath your feet."

Maka tilted her head to the side, "So if I am to believe you-" "You should," Soul quickly interrupted. Maka glared daggers daggers at him as he nonchalantly examined his nails for it (not that he had to look hard). "As I was saying," another spiteful look, "that brings up the most important question my people, or someone such as myself can ask, why sacrifice?"

Mrs. Gorgon laughed, "Who says we actually collect the people? Or maybe I should say, what's _left _of them."

It took a minute to sink in, though it did. And it sank deep. "You don't mean…" Maka heard the distant screech of a chair against floorboards. She didn't feel the first tears that swam down her cheeks. She did feel the the warmth of a rugged palm resting on her back to comfort her.

"Mama! Mama!" Maka chanted, her eyes squeezed shut. She wouldn't lie. They wouldn't dare do that to the greatest hunter the tribe had. They would never…

The palm left her back as she curled up in her chair. Mrs. Gorgon watched, an almost amused smile playing on her lips. Soul shivered as he watched the woman in front of him. He didn't really have much experience with women (unless Chrona counted).

"You mean they really…" Maka sniffled. Mrs. Gorgon nodded solemnly. The red blotches that appeared rose to an alarming colour. Soul winced, waiting to flee from falling tears. Though when no came, he opened a single eye to look at the scene, and promptly relaxed into a comfortable position.

For there stood Mrs Gorgon, patting the back of Maka and murmuring soft words of reassurance. Small weeping sounds echoed through the hollow room, only to sweep under the door and flow through the hallways, fading at each wave of sound.

Later, as they walked out the building, Maka shook her head. The blotches that had arisen, were still there, though fading, as she spoke, "Soul. Why do my people have such an evil ruler?"

Soul looked up to one of the many hanging lights, "I really have no idea. But I have a thought. Maybe I got you here early, but what if I brought you back for a bit? See your friends and all that shit. I don't know."

Maka looked at Soul, "What do you mean?"

Soul scratched the back of his head, a cautious look on his face, "Fuck, I don't know. Rise up or some shit? Like in the books. Guess it was a pretty dumb idea anyways."

Maka looked at Soul with an odd expression. She then turned her head to stare up at the earthen skies. A twist of a lip formed, "No, Soul, I think you have the answer."

Soul's face turned into one reminiscent of a toddler sucking on lemons, "What are you smoking?"

A high-pitched tinkle of a laugh split the dump air, "To all or problems."

"I beg your pardon?" Asura looked down at his brother and friend.

Kidd gasped, holding his chest with a white iron grip, "Maka was taken by a moleman!"

Asura looked over to the blue ink splot, who in turn nodded vigourously. The chief shook his head, allowing long flowing white strips of fabric to rustle over the ground, and sighed. "By my three eyes," he muttered while stroking the three eye pattern on his forehead.

Asura fixed the young men with a cold stare, "So the molmen are no longer satisfied with our losses? They believe they can take whomever they please?" His garbling voice reached an almost screeching level as he paced around the tree hollow.

Kidd and Black Star looked over to the other. "That isn't what we said," Kidd spoke in a soft tone, chewing his bottom lip ferociously. Meanwhile, Black Star was slowly backing off.

"But the molemen have spoken their true desires! They decide to wage war! No! They fight back, though we strike them down! NO more no more _no more!"_ The man's insistent ramblings carried on as the two young men left. They scattered over to their homes, afraid of what the future held in the eyes of their deranged leader.

Maka ran along the tunnels behind the tall man. She dodged a chunk of dirt flung back into her face to catch up quickly.

"Where are we going?" She called out, and Soul laughed.

"Woman, we're raising hell!" he chuckled as he shifted the weight of the pack he wore. In it were the keys to the end of the molemen sacrifices. For in that pack, was a bomb.

"Are you certain that this won't break out into war?" Maka yelled over the sounds of shifting dirt.

Soul looked over his shoulder, raised the gas mask and smirked, "They're already planning war, I can feel it. But I would if my next meal went down a hole like Alice in motherfucking wonderland."

Maka scowled, "Except this time I wasn't given the opportunity to follow the white rabbit. He kidnapped me."

The sounds of chuckling were distorted by the caving mask, "Girl, you were following that white rabbit since you were six."

A roll of her eyes and a few minutes passing, when the question came up again, "So, where are we going?"

Soul's smile seemed almost as though it would fade away into the darkness that surrounded them, "To the next station, a mile down the road from here."

Maka sighed and trudged on. She looked at Soul's retreating form, noticed the bouncing lights that cast eerie shadows with every step, and scurried to catch up.

"Have you seen the upstairs world before?" she questioned. Soul slowed down to match her pace.

"What?"

"Have you been out of the ground before?" Maka tried again.

Her question met a soft smile, "Yeah, while back. But that was when I was a kid and didn't really take it in. All I could remember was how bright it looked," his face furrowed, "but when I was up last, it was dark! What happened while I was gone?"

A giggle echoed around them, "The sun, the brightness, had set and the moon came out!"

Soul dragged a hand across the back of his mask, "Sun and moon? Wonder what shit you guys were smoking when you came up with those bulbs."

"There are no bulbs, silly! Only nature," said Maka, a know-it-all tone creeping into her voice.

"Nature?" Soul's muffled grumble spoke forwards, "No wonder you updwellers are so fucked up."

All of Maka's bloated ego left on the spiderwalker to the next village. "I… You… You don't have any experience with us!"

The blank eyes of the mask stared through her bones, and the lights only seemed to help. "Woman, you have no idea how much I know about your people."

She stamped her foot on the ground, "And how do you know that wasn't propaganda?"

A hollow laugh echoed through the caverns over the sounds of water dropping and shuffling feet, "You really are a princess."

"Excuse me?" Maka exclaimed. Wide eyes narrowed into jade slits, which in turn, stabbed daggers into Soul's back.

Soul looked over his shoulder, not bothering to tell her that they had nearly reached their destination, "I said you thought you'd be a fucking princess. Need your ears cleaned or some shit? 'Cause I think you need a bit of a sponge shoved in there. Anyways, you told me you'd be one hell of a bitchin' princess and would rule your tribe," Maka's jaw dropped, "In fact, if I am correct, you would ride a fucking horse into a battle with a some big-ass god and hold his bloody severed head above the people he captured, and with a mighty yell, they would rejoice as blood pours out of that bitch and those useless little fuckers would join you."

Soul seemed to squint at her, "You were one fucked up kid."

"And you're a nosey prick!" Maka snapped. She followed him slowly, making certain to kick a few stones at his heels. She was satisfied when she heard a particularly pained grunt.

She looked up, blinded briefly by the shining light of a minerbug. She'd learned early on that the giant firefly-like worms were used to send signals down a line and light the way at difficult areas to pas through. She slightly wanted to reach up, between the mothish feelers and scratch the onyx head. Though Soul had slapped her away, stating 'those bitches have a bite like a devil out of hell'.

She grinned and charged on to the awaiting light. She needed light.

Cold bitter air swept the smoke from the bomb site. Black Star's eyes were about as wide as the crater made. Kidd's hands shook at his sides in silence. With a sharp step, he marched away into the swaying grass. "We need to tell Asura."

The skin on Black Star's face couldn't have stretched more, "What the hell is wrong with you? The guy'll go spear-shit. I mean, do you want to die?"

Kidd's laugh took a hollow edge, "I'm afraid, I'm not the one who would die."

Asura looked out to the horizon, a silent breeze rustling his hair. Strange, watery eyes squinted across flowing grass. "You're right, Mr. Kid. You most certainly are right."


End file.
